The king laughed a little at my vehemence.

“What is this you are telling me, Sir Edwin?  I know of Brandon’s death sentence, but much as I regret it, I cannot interfere with the justice of our good people of London for the murder of two knights in their streets.  If Brandon committed such a crime, and, I understand he does not deny it, I cannot help him, however much I should like to do so.  But this nonsense about my sister!  It cannot be true.  It must be trumped up out of your love in order to save your friend.  Have a care, good master, how you say such a thing.  If it were true, would not Brandon have told it at his trial?”

“It is as true as that God lives, my king!  If the Lady Mary and Lady Jane do not bear me out in every word I have said, let my life pay the forfeit.  He would not tell of the great reason for killing the men, fearing to compromise the honor of those whom he had saved, for, as your majesty is aware, persons sometimes go to Grouche’s for purposes other than to listen to his soothsaying.  Not in this case, God knows, but there are slanderous tongues, and Brandon was willing to die with closed lips, rather than set them wagging against one so dear to you.  It seems that these ladies, who owe so much to him, are also willing that he should die rather than themselves bear the consequences of their own folly.  Do not delay, I beseech your majesty.  Eat not another morsel, I pray you, until this brave man, who has so truly served you, be taken from his prison and freed from his sentence of death.  Come, come, my king! this moment, and all that I have, my wealth, my life, my honor, are yours for all time.”

The king remained a moment in thought with knife in hand.

“Caskoden, I have never detected you in a lie in all the years I have known you; you are not very large in body, but your honor is great enough to stock a Goliath.  I believe you are telling the truth.  I will go at once to liberate Brandon; and that little hussy, my sister, shall go to France and enjoy life as best she can with her old beauty, King Louis.  I know of no greater punishment to inflict upon her.  This determines me; she shall coax me out of it no longer.  Sir Thomas Brandon, have my horses ready, and I will go to the lord mayor, then to my lord bishop of Lincoln and arrange to close this French treaty at once.  Let everybody know that the Princess Mary will, within the month, be queen of France.”  This was said to the courtiers, and was all over London before night.

I followed closely in the wake of the king, though uninvited, for I had determined to trust to no one, not even his majesty, until Brandon should be free.  Henry had said he would go first to the lord mayor and then to Wolsey, but after we crossed the Bridge he passed down Lower Thames street and turned up Fish-street Hill into Grace Church street on toward Bishopsgate.  He said he would stop at Mistress Cornwallis’s and have a pudding; and then on to Wolsey, who at that time lodged in a house near the wall beyond Bishopsgate.